"Russia considers Turkey as friend"

Russia considers Turkey and Turkish people as friends, but there are some problems with certain politicians, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during the annual special “Direct Line with Vladimir Putin” on Thursday.

Putin said he is sure that Russia is currently not and will not find itself in a “hostile ring.”

To a question from a 12-year-old girl, who asked the president to decide who he would likely save from drowning if the presidents of Turkey and Ukraine, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Petro Poroshenko respectively, were drowning together, Putin answered that Russia’s ready to extend a hand of friendship to any politician really willing to accept it.

“Those who decided they'd like to drown cannot be saved,” Russian president said.